Things to Do in the Wasatch Back: Day Trips from Park City, Kamas, Oakley, Heber and Midway

Things to do in the Wasatch Back range from world-class ski resorts to roadside diners, hot springs, rodeos and one of the largest antique machinery collections in the West. The Wasatch Back covers the mountain towns east of Salt Lake City: Park City, Kamas, Oakley and Coalville in Summit County, and Heber City, Midway and Wallsburg in Wasatch County.

We’ve built a local guide for each town, sorted by how far you’re willing to drive. Pick where you’re starting from, decide how much time you have, and go.

Pick Your Starting Point

Town Best known for Drive to Wallsburg museum Guide
Park City Skiing, Main Street, Olympic venues About 40 min Things to do in Park City
Kamas Mirror Lake Highway, Uinta Mountains, diners About 40 min Things to do in Kamas
Oakley The Oakley Rodeo, Weber Canyon, a 1939 diner car About 45 min Things to do in Oakley
Heber City and Midway Heber Valley Railroad, Homestead Crater, Swiss Days About 20 to 30 min Things to do in Heber Valley and Midway

Colorful homes on a hillside in Park City, Utah

Things to Do in Park City

Park City has the most to do without a car: Historic Main Street, the Park City Museum, two free Olympic museums at Utah Olympic Park and two major ski resorts. With 30 minutes you add Jordanelle, the Heber Valley Railroad and Homestead Crater.

See the Park City guide

Grassy valley and mountains near Kamas, Utah

Things to Do in Kamas

Kamas is the gateway to the Uintas. Start with breakfast on Main Street, then drive the Mirror Lake Highway to Provo River Falls, Bald Mountain and Mirror Lake in summer, or snowmobile above the Soapstone gate in winter.

See the Kamas guide

Bronc rider in a rodeo arena

Things to Do in Oakley

Oakley is a ranch town with a big Fourth of July rodeo, the historic Oakley Diner and easy access to Rockport, Weber Canyon and Smith & Morehouse Reservoir.

See the Oakley guide

Red barn below green mountains in Heber Valley, Utah

Things to Do in Heber Valley and Midway

Heber and Midway are home to the Heber Valley Railroad, Homestead Crater, Soldier Hollow and Midway’s Swiss Days, and they’re the closest towns to the museum in Wallsburg.

See the Heber and Midway guide
Reservoir and mountains under a cloudy sky in northern Utah

Coalville and Echo

North of Park City, Coalville is the Summit County seat and home of the Summit County Fair each August. Nearby Echo State Park is Utah’s newest state park, at the north end of the 28-mile Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail from Park City. It’s about 30 minutes from Park City and about an hour from Wallsburg.

Vintage motorcycles on display at the Antique & Classic Power Museum, a day trip from Park City

The Wasatch Back’s Best-Kept Secret: The Antique & Classic Power Museum

Every town in the Wasatch Back has its headline attraction. The one almost nobody knows about is in Wallsburg, a town of a few hundred people in a quiet valley just past Deer Creek Reservoir. It’s about 20 to 30 minutes from Heber and Midway and 40 to 45 minutes from Park City, Kamas and Oakley.

The Antique & Classic Power Museum is run by the Richard W. Erickson Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1999 to keep early American history alive. It started when Richard and Rita Erickson bought the Wallsburg land in 1972 to store tractors. Richard, a Minnesota-born Army veteran and former factory hill-climb racer for a Harley-Davidson dealer, never stopped collecting.

What’s Inside

Collection Highlights
Motorcycles (150+) Early Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior, Henderson, Flying Merkel and Vincent bikes, a steam-powered bicycle and a 1946 Indian Chief once owned by Steve McQueen
Cars and trucks Model Ts and As, flathead V8s, a 1913 Pierce-Arrow, a 1969 GTO Judge, Bonneville racers and the 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr from Bugsy
Tractors and machinery (120+) Steam and gas tractors, a working belt-driven sawmill and a blacksmith shop
Pioneer village A church with a working pump organ, 1800s log cabins, a print shop, the Erickson family home moved from Minnesota and Elmo Ford’s 1890 general store
Americana A vintage filling station, the North Temple Shoe Shop and Rita Erickson’s household collection

Why It’s Worth the Drive

  • Nothing else like it nearby. Park City’s museums tell Park City’s story. This one covers how people across America lived, worked and traveled from the late 1800s on, spread across 24 buildings and more than 3,000 artifacts.
  • It works for every generation. Grandparents remember the machines. Kids can’t believe they ran. Everyone walks out with a story.
  • It’s a real escape. Limited cell service, open sky and a guided tour that takes 2.5 to 3 hours. Put the phone away and look around.
  • Your visit supports a local nonprofit. Tour fees help preserve the collection and support the foundation’s community work.

Plan Your Visit

  • Tours: Guided, April through October, 2.5 to 3 hours, $25 per person. Kids 12 and under are free.
  • Booking: The museum is volunteer-run, so book a guided tour before you go. The 2026 season has wrapped, and tours pick back up in April 2027. Schools, senior groups, clubs and reunions can request a group event.
  • What to bring: Closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and water. The grounds are hilly and unpaved in spots, so they aren’t stroller or wheelchair friendly.
  • Events: The Antique Power Show (late June), TedFest (July) and the Power Mountain Music Festival (late August), all with on-site camping.
  • Address: 50 Starks Lane, Wallsburg, UT 84082. More details on our visitor info page.
Book a Guided Tour

A Sample Wasatch Back Day Trip

Here’s one easy loop that hits four towns and the museum. Start from Park City, Kamas or Oakley.

  1. 8:30 a.m. Breakfast in Kamas at Mirror Lake Diner, or grab donuts at Mirror Lake Station.
  2. 9:00 a.m. Drive south on SR-32 past Jordanelle’s Rock Cliff to Heber City (about 25 minutes).
  3. 10:00 a.m. Guided tour of the Antique & Classic Power Museum in Wallsburg (2.5 to 3 hours, April through October, booked ahead).
  4. 1:15 p.m. Late lunch in Heber or Midway.
  5. 2:45 p.m. Soak or snorkel at Homestead Crater, or catch an afternoon Heber Valley Railroad departure.
  6. 5:00 p.m. Head home over US-40 to Park City (about 25 minutes from Heber) or SR-32 back to Kamas and Oakley.
Fall color on the mountains above Midway, Utah

Wasatch Back by Season

Season Best bets Watch out for
Winter Park City and Deer Valley skiing, Soldier Hollow tubing, Homestead Crater, snowmobiling from Kamas, North Pole Express Mirror Lake Highway and Guardsman Pass are closed. Book holiday trains early. The museum is closed for the season.
Spring Museums, Oakley Diner, Jordanelle and Rockport, low trails Park City’s mud season means shorter hours. High roads reopen around Memorial Day.
Summer Mirror Lake, the Oakley Rodeo, Kamas Fiesta Days, Park Silly Sunday Market and the museum’s summer events The busiest season. Book tours, rodeo tickets and campsites early.
Fall Fall color on the Mirror Lake Highway, Guardsman Pass and Weber Canyon, Heber Valley Railroad fall trains, Swiss Days High roads can close with October snow. Many businesses shorten hours after mid-October, and museum tours wrap up in October.

FAQ

The Wasatch Back usually means Summit County (Park City, Kamas, Oakley, Coalville, Francis, Woodland and Peoa) and Wasatch County (Heber City, Midway, Charleston and Wallsburg), on the east side of the Wasatch Mountains from Salt Lake City.

The Mirror Lake Highway from Kamas (summer), the Heber Valley Railroad, Homestead Crater in Midway and the Antique & Classic Power Museum in Wallsburg are four of the best. Each one is within about 45 minutes of Park City.

Park City’s museums and Main Street, the Oakley Rodeo, Kamas diners, Rockport, Jordanelle and Echo state parks and the Mirror Lake Highway. Just over the county line, the Antique & Classic Power Museum in Wallsburg is a strong pick for families and history buffs.

Yes. The Antique & Classic Power Museum in Wallsburg has more than 150 motorcycles, classic cars from Model Ts to muscle cars and more than 120 tractors. It’s about 20 minutes from Heber City and about 40 minutes from Park City.

Become a Volunteer!

The Antique & Classic Power Museum runs on volunteers who love history and old machines. Join us.

Richard W Erickson Foundation
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